Three Capitalization Workshops focused on Good Practices and Lessons Learned by the Food Security Sector

In Haiti, national and sub-national coordination of the food security sector is carried out by CNSA, a government entity attached to the Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Rural Development (MARNDR). CNSA is headed by a Coordinator based in the capital of Port-au-Prince; at departmental level, this structure is represented by technical secretariats. Various international partners such as WFP, FAO, and FEWSNET provide technical support to CNSA operations, particularly in conducting situational analyses.

In 2010 Haiti was devastated by the earthquake; in 2016 the country was once again hit hard, this time by Hurricane Matthew. The storm came at a time when the country was suffering from a drought crisis that had lasted for more than three years. These severe crises were the basis for mobilization of various partners who sought to support actions of the government which could respond to the numerous needs confronting the affected.

The concept of a series of capitalization workshops focused on good practices and lessons learned was raised several times by food security sector partners. In response to this request, the CNSA, in collaboration with FAO and WFP, agreed to take on this initiative which has been funded by WFP, FAO, global food security cluster (gFSC) based in Rome, and by the NGO consortium of ACF, CONCERN and OXFAM with funding by ECHO.

The capitalization exercise focused on the role of the food security sector in preparedness and response, and considered aspects of coordination, partner engagement, and communication in ensuring an effective coordination system.

Participants in the three workshops reflected on good practices and lessons learned with regard to coordination mechanisms in the food security sector in emergencies in Haiti in the 2015-2017 period with a focus on the three-year drought emergency and Hurricane Matthew.